Saturday, December 3, 2011

Christmas Fudge

I am a fudge fanatic, I love the stuff. Its strange because after dinner I am usually the one who opts for the cheese board BUT when it comes to fudge, I can't help myself.

I think it all started at intermediate school when I showed an interest in cooking. I would come home from school, raid the pantry for sugar, turn to the back of the Edmonds cookbook and make batches of chocolate fudge. Unfortunately it took a long time to perfect. There were many occasions when it didn't set and frustration would set in however I usually went back for round two if there was enough sugar left. Of course Mum would arrive home and the 1kg bag of sugar would be non-existent and there would be no fudge to show for it either...

Russian and chocolate fudge

Because of my fudge fascination, school fairs and street stalls would ignite my appetite. I would hunt out the homemade packages, buy a few and scoff the lot! Now I am a teacher at a school that has a regular school fair. The first year I jumped at the chance to make and sell the homemade sweet treats. I encouraged the students to make fudge and even sent home recipes. Pity though, many families are too busy to attempt making homemade sweets or deemed it too difficult. I was disappointed as lots of shop bought sweets rolled in! The Russian fudge I made came from a friend Johanna who bought it along on a camping trip. OMG it was so good sitting outside on a balmy evening tucking into the huge chunks of heaven! She of course passed on the recipe which comes from another food blogger. Its a microwave fudge and probably the best no fail recipe I have tried.

Parcels of joy!

The other fudge recipe I made was a random one I found on the Internet but had chocolate and peanut butter for a change. It was the traditional one, made on the stove and had more bite ability than the creamy Russian one. Either way they both worked and tasted great. I ended up taking it all into work so I wouldn't be tempted...

Its important to keep a jar at home!

So the reason of this post of course is making edible gifts to give for the festive season.The glass jars came from the warehouse ($2.99 each - so cheap), the clear bags and netting (wedding favours) came from spotlight as did the red noodle boxes. Get creative and make some sweet fudge for your loved ones - its such a nice personal touch that is seriously dying out!

Russian microwave fudgeYou will need

100g butter

1 cup white sugar

1 can (400g) sweetened condensed milk

1 tbsp golden syrup

2 tsp vanilla essence

How to makeIn a microwave proof bowl (very large as the mixture rises up) add everything except the vanilla essence.Microwave on high for 1 minute then stir, then for a further 2 minutes and stir.Repeat this process until 10 minutes is up. (I actually did it for 12 minutes).The mixture will darken in colour, if it hasn't zap it for a bit longer. Be careful as it can burn! If you use a candy thermometer, it should be 120 degrees or you are looking for the soft ball stage when you drip it into cold water (I have never used a candy thermometer and the soft ball concept has never really worked for me)When its done add the vanilla and beat with an electric beater for about 4 minutes. (It should lose its shine and start to thicken)Pour onto baking paper that is in dish (anything will do, I used Tupperware)Cut into cubes when nearly set and leave to cool.

How to make
In a med saucepan, stir together the suger and cocoa, combining so there are no lumps. Add milk, butter and peanutbutter. Heat genlty, stirring constanly until ingredients have melted. Boil to the softball stage (about 7-10 min).

Stand to cool for a couple of minutes, thenbeat with a spoon until thick.Pour into a well greased sponge roll tin and set in fridge.

Thanks for the lovely comments guys, I had trouble shooting it, it was late, I used lights and was tired! I am so much better in the AM! The fudge however worked out really well - I highly recommend the microwave one! Its a winner...Vanessa

I'm so glad you posted this, I have been looking for fudge recipes and tips (can you believe I've never made fudge before?! I couldn't, until I stopped to think about it just to be sure) today and definitely have gotten some inspiration from your post. Beautiful photos too :)

I just made the Russian fudge again tonight for a Secret Santa gift - once you have done it a few times its really easy and works every time! I microwave mine for the initial 1 min + 12 minutes in 2 min intervals! Perfect for my microwave!